Hmong students
learn about, then create art at St. Norbert
About 50 attend gathering, help design mural
By Sara Boyd
sboyd2@greenbaypressgazette.com
DE
PERE — Watching artist Seexeng Lee of Minneapolis describe the evolution of Hmong art instilled a sense of pride in
Seenia Thao of Denmark.
"It makes
me appreciate art and being Hmong even more," the high school junior said. "It opened my eyes to a lot of things."
Thao was just one of roughly 50 Hmong students from
Brown County, the Fox River Valley and Wausau invited to attend a special art day Saturday at St. Norbert College.
The event introduced students
to Hmong artist Lee, who specializes in mosaic murals, through a special presentation. Each student received the chance to
paint a tile with the artist, incorporating their own artistic styles.
On her tile, Thao wrote the word "me" and drew a picture of a Hmong girl in traditional
clothes.
"There's a lot of
words that could define my culture and me, so instead I just put 'me,' " she said. "I also drew a hand,
because the hand for me is the most significant symbol. It can mean reaching out, having hope in your hands, having everything
in your hands and also letting go of things."
Lee drew black lines on each tile and instructed students to stay within those lines.
After the tiles were completed, they were put together to create one 22-by-5-foot mural. The mural will be hung in the gathering
place of Madelaine and Lorraine residence halls.
"I
think that's awesome," said Naly Yang of Green Bay. "You just get to see how everyone expresses art."
The mission of the event was to introduce students
to opportunities in higher education and to give them a chance to learn leadership skills for the future, said Eric Wagner,
assistant director of admissions for St. Norbert. The event's theme was "Core Values, Prayer, Community and Service
to Others."
"It's for
them to see the leaders in themselves," he said, "to take action and to see they have to take their future into
their own hands."
The
day included a leadership program for the students led by Leadership Service and Engagement at St. Norbert as well as members
of the local Hmong community.
Wagner
said they'd like to see more Hmong students explore higher education and hopes this event helps to reach that goal.
"One of the major things that I hope they get
out of this is the work they completed in one day and to see the things they can achieve," he said. "Not only for
higher education, but what else they can do to see their dreams and reach for them, too."
